


And I You

by Triangulum



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Misunderstandings, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 10:07:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10511577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Triangulum/pseuds/Triangulum
Summary: Peter and Stiles have been officially together for a few months when Stiles first says I love you. Peter's face goes still and it takes a few moments before he says, "Oh." Stiles, reeking of shame and humiliation, stutters out an apology and all but flees from the loft. He and Peter are supposed to be researching, but Stiles can't stay there, not after that. Peter doesn't try to stop him.





	

Peter and Stiles have been officially together for a few months when Stiles first says I love you. Peter's face goes still and it takes a few moments before he says, "Oh." Stiles, reeking of shame and humiliation, stutters out an apology and all but flees from the loft. He and Peter are supposed to be researching, but Stiles can't stay there, not after that. Peter doesn't try to stop him. 

Peter and Stiles had fallen together on accident. They were often left behind, either too dangerous or too vulnerable, which somehow meant they had to be left together, as if pairing the pack member they assume is the weakest with the one they find the most dangerous makes any sense. They annoyed each other first, antagonized each other to the point of Peter threatening violence and Stiles pulling out a bag of wolfsbane. The antagonism faded to annoyed acceptance, the grudging respect, to more.

It had started with them falling into bed together. It had been angry and frustrated, each one trying to one-up the other. They'd coaxed as much pleasure for the other as possible, taking it as victory when they were able to make the other come. At some point, the competition of it faded away and they started sleeping together purely because they wanted to. 

Then came Peter buying Stiles food and bringing him rare books. And Stiles painstakingly recreating a Hale family recipe that Peter had never been able to get quite right. Peter went nearly rabid on a rogue omega that took a swipe at Stiles, ripping the man apart until there was nearly nothing left. The pack had eyed him with wide, fearful eyes, but Peter didn't seem to care, used to being feared by the ragtag group.

Peter came to Stiles in his room later that night, after he'd cleaned up from disemboweling the omega. He'd crawled in Stiles' window and kissed him senseless, until Stiles was nearly dizzy with it. He told Stiles that he wanted him, that he needed him by his side, that he wanted to be with him and only him. Stiles was nearly drunk on his happiness, told Peter yes. They were lucky that the sheriff was working, because Peter fucked him hard that night, both of them shouting their pleasure and clawing and biting at each other. Peter's marks stayed on Stiles, but Stiles had to watch his fade off of Peter with a pout.

Stiles thought that after months of dates, months of Peter's affection and possessiveness (and before that, months of sex and dancing around each other), that they were on the same page. Stiles thought Peter cares for for him as much as Stiles cares for Peter, but apparently he's wrong.

Stiles avoids being alone with Peter for the next few weeks. He avoids eye contact during pack meetings or when they all happen to be at the loft together, and leaves as soon as he can. Peter tries to call out to him, asks him to stay, but Stiles shrugs him off, embarrassment and hurt radiating off of him. 

Eventually, the pack starts noticing. Sure, they never noticed the relationship, but now they notice something is off. Figures. Stiles can't keep up his disappearing act, so he changes tactics. He pretends that everything is fine. He pretends he never said those useless words. He lets Peter hug him for the first time in weeks after the pack scampers out of the loft after a renegade witch. He lets Peter kiss him and hold him close. Peter seems to need it, seems to need to make up for all the time he hasn't had Stiles in his arms. 

Peter fucks him gently, murmuring praise the entire time, saying how special Stiles is, how much he missed him. Stiles tries not to cry, telling himself it isn't real, Peter's just lost in the moment, lost in the pleasure that sex gives him. People say things they don't mean in the middle of sex all the time, it's fine. 

Peter holds him close after, stroking his hand through Stiles' sweat-soaked hair. He kisses his temple, rubs his hands up and down Stiles' arms, nuzzles at his jaw, like he can't stop touching Stiles after being denied the opportunity for so long. They lie together for a long time, long enough that Stiles' heart stops beating so quickly and he can almost pretend that everything is fine. 

Then Peter shatters the silence.

"I can't say I love you," Peter says.

Hurt lances through Stiles, making his chest tight.

"Okay, uh, ouch," Stiles says, pulling away. Wow, why did he think he could do this? Why did he think he can go back to acting like everything is normal? He'd known that Peter doesn't love him, but to hear it like that, to hear it confirmed is too much. "Okay, uh, I'm gonna go..."

"No, that's not what I mean," Peter says, refusing to let Stiles move out of his arms. "I can't say the words 'I love you'."

"Okay," Stiles says again, more slowly this time. He stops trying to pull away, instead lying very still in Peter's arms. "Uh, why?"

"Those are the last words I said to...to them," Peter says and Stiles immediately knows that he's talking about his family, about the people that he watched die. "I can't say it, but that doesn't mean I don't mean it."

"Do you mean it?" Stiles asks, trying to fight against the hope welling inside of him. He turns in Peter's arms so that they're face-to-face. Peter's face is raw and open and for once, he doesn't try to shut it down.

"Of course I do," Peter says. "How could I not? You're so perfect for me. So caring and smart and bloodthirsty. I care about you so, so much. I just...I can't say it. Not yet."

Stiles takes his time to digest this, to digest how Peter is looking at him almost pleadingly, begging Stiles to believe him. He pushes past the weeks of pain, the weeks of being alone and miserable to ask himself when Peter has ever given him a cause to doubt him, at least since they've been together, and he can't think of a single instance. Yes, Peter always does what's best for Peter, but that's changed to include what's best for Stiles. There's been a shift in Peter, one that Stiles can't deny that he's seen. 

"Okay," Stiles says. He doesn't know what else to say. "Does it...does it bother you that I said I love you?"

"No, my darling, not at all," Peter says, cupping Stiles' jaw with one large hand. "I would give anything to hear you say it. I just can't say it back."

"So, if I were to tell you I love you..."

"I would say me too, or and I you," Peter says.

"I can work with that," Stiles says and for the first time in weeks, he feels a smile take over his face. 

Peter seems to sag in relief. He gathers Stiles closer, pulling him into a tight embrace, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm so sorry," Peter whispers. "I'm so sorry for making you think otherwise."

Stiles says nothing, just lets Peter hold him and whisper apologies and praise. He kisses Peter back, letting the other man lick into his mouth in a claiming kiss. Peter loves him. Peter loves him and everything's okay. He lets the tension in him go, sinks into Peter's hold and feels more at peace that he has in the past few weeks.

"I love you," Stiles murmurs later that night before they fall asleep, when they're back at Peter's home, wrapped around each other.

"And I you."

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [ tumblr ](http://www.hotpinklizard.tumblr.com) or my [ main blog](http://www.femmmefatalist.tumblr.com).


End file.
